Stay
by Horus.Potter
Summary: What scares Harry James Potter more than Voldemort, Death Eaters, or Dementors? Women. One woman specifically.  And how can he ask that life changing question if he can't get out the words? HP/GW


Disclaimer: You know the drill my friends. Thank you Jo for letting me play around with your lovely creations.

**Stay:**

Harry paced back and forth, up and down his rather sizeable living room. He heard a faint pop and his head snapped in the direction of the front door. He threw himself into a chair and attempted to appear at ease.

"Harry?" a knock overlapped the call.

"Yea, come in!" Harry said, his leg bouncing nervously up and down.

A tall lanky redhead bounced into the living room. The boy of course being Harry's best friend Ron Weasley. Ron sat down opposite Harry and stared hard at the man.

"Harry, what's wrong? I came as fast as I could."

"Oh, you didn't have to rush." Harry said lamely as Ron continued searching Harry's face for answers. "It's just, well, I need you. It's Ginny -"

Ron leapt up in a panic, "What's wrong! What happened? Is she okay?"

"Oh! Oh nothing. No she's fine Ron." Ron sat down again, relieved and Harry rushed on to explain himself. "It's just; I want to propose to her." Harry could feel himself blushing. Ron had once said that he had no problem with Harry and his sister but they never really _talked _about it.

"Oh." Ron said, "So just ask her?"

"What if she says no? What if she doesn't want to be with me?"

Ron thwacked Harry on the head. "Oi! She's only been in love with you since she was ten! Of course she'll flipping marry you!"

Harry was rubbing his head where Ron had hit him.

"That hurt." Harry complained.

"Harry, she's mad for you. If Hermione would say yes to me I'm thinking someone who's loved you for the better portion of her life will say yes to you."

Harry was blushing again. "I'm just so afraid of losing her. I know you don't want to hear me talk about your sister like this, but you're my best mate, I need you."

Ron smiled and shifted slightly. "Well, as you know I proposed to Hermione when we were on that awful Ministry expedition. I still don't know what that trip accomplished for the Goblin Rights Act." Ron rambled.

"But Ron, you took her to the world's biggest wizard library! It was brilliant! Hermione was in a daze for months! Completely enamored - "

"Okay stop." Ron blushed, "Well then do something romantic for Gin. But honestly Harry you could go to her flat wearing smelly old robes and give her a rotten turnip and she'd still want to jump - well, you get the idea." Ron cringed at the mental image of his little sister doing _anything _sexual with _anyone._

"I just - " Harry didn't know how to explain. "She's not really a romantic type. I feel like if we went to a romantic restaurant and I popped the question it would just seem fake."

"So do something she likes." Ron shrugged.

"Well she likes Quidditch obviously; but she's around it all day, that wouldn't be very unique."

"Unless you get the team in on it somehow. Jones would probably help."

"Well I don't want too many people around."

"Right. In case she says no." Ron rolled his eyes.

Harry gave Ron a look that plainly said Harry was choosing to ignore his sass.

"Maybe I will take her on holiday." Harry mused aloud.

Ron nodded noncommittally.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Harry called.

"Hello Harry." It was Ginny.

She kissed Harry, despite Ron looking pointedly away.

"Hey Gin." Harry said a lazy contented smile on his face.

"Hey sis." Ron said.

"Oh hey Ron." She said as though she hadn't seen him there.

"How was practice?" Harry asked, looping his arm over Ginny's shoulder.

"Ugh! I got hit with a bludger."

Harry sat up in panic, "Are you okay? What happened? Where?"

Ginny placed her hands on either side of his face. "It's fine. I'm fine. They fixed me up in about two seconds. Right to the gut." she said proudly. "Still scored though. Of course, Rapier might have been too distracted by my tumbling spiral toward the ground to actually block the goal." Ginny said thoughtfully.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay." Ginny said a little haughtily. Harry's over protectiveness since the war had gotten slightly out of hand.

"Well I better be off. Hermione should be home any minute." Ron stood up.

"See you Ron. Thanks." Harry said meaningfully.

"Bye Ron!" Ginny threw out casually.

Ron disappeared out the front door.

"Want to stay for dinner?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Ginny smiled.

"I missed you." Harry kissed Ginny lightly on the lips.

"Did you?" Ginny's voice was teasing.

Harry pressed into her slightly, causing her to lean against the arm of the couch for support. "I think about you all day at work." His body straddled her as she was now laying on the sofa, "It creates a rather large problem." he smirked suggestively.

"Mmm," she rubbed her hands down his lean body, "that is a big problem. Shall we take care of it?"

"You read my mind."

A loud crash from the kitchen had Harry down the stairs and by his girlfriend's side faster than you could say disapparate.

"What is it Gin? Are you okay?" he ran to his girlfriend who was bent down to the ground.

"I dropped a pan." Ginny said.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"God Harry! You don't have to freak out about everything! I'm not going to break!"

This was not the first time the couple had had this same argument. Harry finally had good things in his life; and his life was free of Voldemort permanently, and he was terrified of them getting ripped away from him at any moment. Ginny was on her last nerve about his obsession with protecting everyone; especially her.

"I don't want to lose you Ginny. I made a lot of enemies and they could hurt you at any moment." Harry said defensively.

"Harry! I was in that war too! I know how dangerous it is to be on the good side! Stop trying to control my life to your safety preferences!"

"I just don't want you to die! Why is that so fucking hard for you to accept! ?"

"I'm not going to die while making breakfast Harry!"

"You could!"

"Oh yes, a former Death Eater is going to break out of Azkaban and burst in here while you're in the shower!" she spat out sarcastically.

"My mum and dad thought they were safe too Ginny." His tone quieted but he was still angry.

Ginny softened immediately, "Harry – "

"Don't look at a me like that." He spat, hating the pity in her eyes and tone.

"You know what. I'll just show myself out." Ginny walked past him, grabbing her wand and her purse as she headed for the door.

"Ginny!" he called after her, his voice a desperate whine. She turned to face him.

"I love you Harry. And I know your past is horrible. But you don't have to take it out on me. And I can take care of myself. And I'm so tired of fighting with you about this. I'm not a useless girl Harry, and you treating me like one… I'm so tired of it."

"You know I don't think you're useless Ginny. You're smart, independent, determined, and resourceful. I know you can take care of yourself."

"Then why do you keep freaking out?"

"I just couldn't handle it if I lost you. If you died Ginny I'd…" he took a step toward her and took her hands in his. "I just want to marry you and keep you safe forever. I know you can take care of yourself but I need to protect you. I'm sorry. I'll calm down, I'll ease up. Just please don't walk out that door." The desperation in his voice was heartbreaking.

"Do you mean it?" Ginny's eyes were dancing with barely contained excitement. There were only two words she had latched on in his speech.

"Yes. I'll try so hard not to worry or fret – "

"No, about wanting to marry me?"

Harry took a brief moment to pause; this was not the romantic notion of a proposal he had planned but he smiled warily as he dropped to one knee.

"Yes. Oh Ginny, please be my wife. I will love you, treasure you forever, provide for you, I will do my best to make sure you never know pain or sadness. I will love you until the end. If you can please accept me and all of my neuroses."

"Oh Harry," she sighed and for a moment Harry thought she really would say no. He stopped breathing. "Of course I'll marry you."

Ginny hardly ever cried but she couldn't contain the joyous droplets that pooled in her eyes. Harry jumped up and hugged Ginny, swinging her around. She giggled (another un-Ginny thing to do).

"I love you Harry Potter."

-0-0-

AN: I was doing a writing prompt "15 Minutes in the downfall of Love" (that story is called Blink of an Eye feel free to read it) and I decided to write a version where Harry possesses similar qualities but things turn out better for him. This is that version. I hope you enjoyed!


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